Sunday Smörgåsbord #057
A week of secrets, lies, and lentil soup. But also: rainbows!
NB: [PW] signifies a paywall, though some providers allow you to read a set number of articles for free.
Hi friends,
I saw two rainbows this week. One Thursday (see below) the other on Saturday morning (above). Both perfectly formed arches which stretched from one side of the landscape to the other. From where I was sitting they felt like a sign.
The first came Thursday morning, the sun rising on what was going to be another stressful day. I’ve had a few admin whackamoles lately, and that combined with being sick Monday and Tuesday meant I was nearing the end of my tether.
Seeing the first shards of brilliant, multi-coloured light slowly break out into a beautiful storybook arch felt like a reminder: this too will pass. So enjoy the good moments whilst they last, too.
Have a great week ahead,
Emma x
🍳 Recent servings, in case you missed them…
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📰 Features & Podcasts
‘‘She preyed upon that empathy’: the TV writer who faked having cancer’, The Guardian. Who would be a con artist nowadays? Of all the eras in which to be one, our perma-online, CCTV-filled, background-checked can’t be ideal. And yet, time and time again, we find proof the walk among us. This latest to leave me open-mouthed is the story of Elisabeth Finch, star writer at Gray’s Anatomy, who supposedly lied about, well, a LOT of rather traumatic-sounding things which you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. This piece is a bit of an overview advertising the obligatory multi-part series, but of course there’s a bunch of deep-dive articles (this one in Vanity Fair is the real expose).
‘We only learnt of our son’s secret online life after he died at 25’, The Times [PW]. From the worst of our perma-online culture, to the best, this is the touching story of Mats Steen, a young Norwegian World of Warcraft fan who died in his mid-twenties. Whilst Mats lived an almost solitary life, unable to easily move, speak, or write, his online avatar Ibelin, was a loved and respected member of his gaming community. Not only did he have a host of friends, he’d even found romance. His parents had had no idea. This article is a perfect reminder that yes, the internet has brought us minimal attention spans, catfishing and deep fakes, but it’s also brought hope, connection and understanding.
‘Louis Theroux meets Dame Tracey Emin’, The Louis Theroux Podcast [via Spotify]. I listened to the first half of this on a run today and for the first time in a long time, I actually wanted to run more to be able to finish it (too bad my lungs said otherwise). I’ve been a long-time fan of both Tracey and Louis (and he was an actual crush of mine back at Uni), but Theroux kinda annoyed me in this outing. His opening felt like it underestimated just how well-regarded and important Emin is - and after hearing her gently steer him a few times during the conversation, I wondered if he’d recorded it before they even sat down to speak. I’m not sure Emin is ever anything but open and direct, but this was a particularly eye-opening discussion of Emin’s art, career, and recent health problems. Even in the first forty-five minutes, they cover a lot of ground, touching on everything from meeting the King to her demand to keep her clitoris (you’ll see). It’s done that rare thing: made me look forward to my next run.
🎨 Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Operation Mincemeat, dir. John Madden (2022). It turns out my penchant for Columbo last weekend was actually a sign: I woke up the next day sick as a dog. Sunday was not my only date with Peter Falk, I can tell you that. But don’t worry, rather than give you a blow-by-blow account of what I thought of each episodde (I’ll save that for a future Friday essay when I’m desperate) I’ll turn to the other entertainment which got me through two dull days on the sofa. First up was Operation Mincemeat, an ideal Sunday-or-sick-day kinda movie, you know the sort: super-high stakes (World War Two), a slightly madcap but daring escapade, and Colin Firth in a leading role. What’s really mad though is that this film is based on the absolutely true story of the (successful) plot to fool Hitler into thinking the Allies were to attack Greece, not Sicily, by planting a body carrying fake government papers in the sea off Cadiz. It’s still one of wartime’s greatest deceptions, and I’ve now made it a mission to visit the body’s grave in the Huelva Cemetery. I found this helpful little article from the local tourist board which summarises the story nicely.
Apples May Fall, BBC iPlayer / Peacock. I also managed to inhale the whole of this Lianne Moriarty mini-series (quite the feat given how blocked my nose was). From the moment a bloody stranger named Savannah shows up on the Delaney’s doorstep, you just know: this isn’t going to end well. We soon see how saintly Savannah manages to immediately pick at the freshly scabbed wounds of the family, then stick her fingers in and twist for good measure. It was the first TV show I’ve watched in ages where I could just enjoy without too much thinking yet still find the characters pretty credible. Despite being packed with big moments, it still managed to feel realistic, especially in its depictions of family drama.
📺 What have you seen lately that’s worth a read, watch or listen? Let me know in the comments.
🍹 Lifestyle
Lentil and chorizo soup. The perfect dish to make when you can’t make it to the supermarket, this soup draws on things I usually have in my fridge and storecupboard. All you need is a tin of tomatoes, vegetable stock, a jar of pre-cooked lentils (for ease) and ideally some chorizo, bacon or other cured meat. Fry the chopped meat (about 100g) in a pan until the oil is slick on the pan and the meat crispy. Remove the meat and add a finely chopped onion. At this stage I add pepper, salt, and pimienton (paprika). Once the onions are nice and soft add the tomatoes along with 400ml vegetable stock. After simmering for about ten minutes, add in the lentils and warm through. Just before serving, add the meat back into the pot and give a quick stir. Best served with a coriander garnish, if you have a kind neighbour to pick it up for you, but perfectly fine without. Serve with crusty bread and lurpak butter, and inhale that steam!
That’s it for this week. I hope you find something in this list that sparks joy or curiosity.
If you’ve got any recommendations on articles, podcasts, Substacks or shows for me to dive into, please drop them in the comments. Until next time!
❤️ Thank you for reading. If you liked this post don’t forget to hit the heart to let me know and help others find my writing.
📮 And if you’re not yet subscribed, all editions of Sunday Smörgåsbord are free forever. Sign up for free and get next week’s in your inbox.
Loved all this. Will try and check out Apples. “Seeing the first shards of brilliant, multi-coloured light slowly break out into a beautiful storybook arch felt like a reminder: this too will pass.” 🫶🏻 Hope you feel better soon.
Thanks for the Louis and Tracey recommendation Emma. I’m on it! X